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April 15, 2002 RE(~'~I~f ~® <br />UY~ <br />Division of Minerals and Geology APR ? ~ ` <br />Office of Mined Land Reclamation <br />1313 Sherman Street, Room 215 ~r~'rS1071 u/Mrnerai~ anE ~,,,., <br />Denver, CO 80203 <br />RECEI ~EC~ <br />RE: GCC Rio Grande, Inc. Mining Permit Application <br />APR 2 3 2QQ,? <br />Dear Members of the Office of Mined Land Reclamation, Oirision of Minerals and Geology <br />I am writing to request that the mining permit for the proposed GCC Rio Grande, <br />Inc. cement plan be denied. I am also requesting that if any hearings concerning this <br />application will be held that they will be held in Pueblo, Colorado, with ample <br />notification to the citizens of Pueblo be placed in the Pueblo Chieftain Newspaper. <br />As you are will aware, this cement plant will add tremendously to the pollution of <br />air, water and environment of Pueblo, County. My family lives 55 acres within two miles <br />of the proposed plant, in the "high danger zone" while I reside in Pueblo City in the <br />danger zone. I fear for our health, My father has allergies and asthma, which will be <br />greatly effected by the dust and pollution if the plant is built. Additionally, My brother, <br />Jay, nearly died twice with pneumonia, his asthma is severe and he is currently taking <br />three medications to keep his asthma in check, the cement plant will have very adverse <br />effects on his health. He also suffers from seizures, the blasting will also effect his <br />eplipsy. My family recently moved from the City of Pueblo to Lime Road, for the fresh, <br />clean air that is currently on Lime Road South. This will all be gone if the cement plant <br />is allowed to be built. <br />They also have a well that feeds off the St. Charles Aquifer, which is used for <br />garden, yard and home. I am concerned about the pollution to the St. Charles River from <br />a cement plant being built so close to the river. I am concerned about the blasting for the <br />mining purposes and it's effect on the blue shale in the river bottom, how it will be <br />fractured as the blasting shock waves will travel for a long distance, and the effects on <br />the flow of the river. GCC Rio Grande, Inc. is downplaying the effects of the shock <br />waves. Even in their agreement to purchase property from Douglas G. Thacker, it is <br />noted that disruption and failure of the Dakota water, located near the Blake Ranch may <br />occur. A neighbor who resides within a Yz mile of the proposed plant resides in a home, <br />that was built in 1866, of adobe. It was a "way" station and fort for early settlers of <br />Pueblo County. It will surely be damaged by the blasting. <br />GCC Rio Grande, lnc. is planning on using dry scrubbers in the process of <br />making the cement. This method is not suitable in preventing pollution. Our Pueblo <br />County Commissioner, John Klomp recently won arguments for wet scrubbers in the <br />destruction of chemicals at the Pueblo Army Repot. The same should be true of the <br />proposed cement plant, they should use wet scrubbers. <br />The record of the GCC Rio Grande, Inc. company is shaky, they have already <br />changed their name once, it was: Rio Grande Portland Cement. They have also stated <br />